The thing everyone is talking about when it comes to the Magic right now is their inactivity at the trade deadline. Even if the front office had good reasons for not making any moves, fans were not happy to learn that the Magic would have to continue the season without any significant offensive upgrades.
Even with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner back on the court, the Magic are struggling offensively and have fallen to ninth place in the Eastern Conference after a loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Things are not going according to plan, and unless the Magic turn things around to close the season, their inactivity at the trade deadline will still be brought up frequently.
On the Ringer NBA Show, Justin Verrier, Rob Mahoney, and Wosny Lambre discussed whether the Magic would regret their decision and when they would change their philosophy to get Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero some offensive help.
The Magic’s inactivity at the trade deadline continues to be criticized
They started the discussion by comparing the Magic to the San Antonio Spurs and their willingness to accelerate their team’s timeline and add a star.
“I feel like the Magic, especially coming into the season, we felt like they were further along in their project than the San Antonio Spurs,” Lambre said, “We thought they were knocking on the door of being a real problem for the top of the East and to watch them flounder in the way that they have been recently and to do nothing at the deadline…it’s like I understand wanting to be patient with your young guys but at the same time you guys came into this year with expectations so why do you want to finish this year with a sour taste of disappointment?”
Mahoney and Verrier agreed that the Magic needed more offense and to add some players who could help Banchero and Wagner carry the offensive load, stressing that it did not even have to be a big-time star. Both also brought up the Magic’s tendency to not make big moves and wanting to primarily rely on internal improvement instead.
The Magic received some harsh criticism on this episode, and most of it was not new, but there is some truth to it. The Magic built a great foundation through the draft and already successfully developed several players. They lay the groundwork for a competitive team that way, but if the Magic want to become a true contender, they will have to do more. This trade deadline was one chance to improve the roster, and they did not take it.
Sooner rather than later, the Magic will have to change their approach and make some big moves to build a championship contender around Banchero and Wagner. The two of them are too talented to not give them a chance to compete at the highest level as soon as possible.
This offseason seems like the perfect time for the Magic to finally make some significant moves. They will have seen more of their young core, hopefully even in the playoffs, and can make decisions without the pressure of the in-season trade deadline. Jeff Weltman has already said that other teams sensed the Magic’s desperation and were trying to get them to pay enormous prices for players. That should hopefully look different in the offseason.
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